Lost Without You
by JessTristansGrls
Summary: After Jess leaves, Rory is devastated, but someone will be there to comfort her! Trory, cowritten by bibleboymary4ever & LitJJAiken, very LIT friendly
1. Confused

This FF is co-written by Joan (bibleboymary4ever) & Lauren Disclaimer: We don't own anything.but if ASP wants to make an offer we would be interested in buying Tristan & Jess ;)  
  
*June 3, 2003* Tristans Graduation from Military School  
  
Tristan carefully fingered the satin cap, as the reality of his situation finally set in.  
  
He was going back to Hartford, going back to the fancy Ivy league schools, country clubs, hired help and champagne & caviar.  
  
He was going back to her.. He wondered if she was still dating that stockboy jerk, that son of a bitch never deserved Rory.  
  
He glanced behind him, towards the family and friends gathered to proudly watch their children graduate. Though Tristan had made valedictorian, his father refused to come & forbade the rest of the family to, blatantly announcing that Military School was not a suitable place for a DuGrey to be graduating from, claiming Tristan was lucky to have gotten into Yale. Tristan sighed, remembering the unhappy phone call.  
  
But if going back to Connecticut meant seeing Rory again, he was glad to do it. He shook his head as he remembered all the crumpled letters never sent, the hundreds of times he picked up the phone, but..he was scared. Yup, Tristan DuGrey was scared about a girls opinion about him. He knew he had screwed up by treating her so badly at Chilton, but around her, Tristan lost all his cool, he didn't know what to say, to do, how to act,around his Mary, Tristan suddenly became the nerd, with the crush on the head cheerleader, totally & utterly confused.  
  
i I know I can be a little stubborn sometimes A little righteous and too proud I just want to find a way to compromise Cos I believe that we can work things out  
  
I thought I had all the answers never giving in But baby since you've gone I admit that I was wrong/i  
  
The headmaster repeated his name & Tristan glanced up guiltily. It was not the first time he had messed up something because of her. Tristan briskly walked up & collected his diploma.  
  
Even though he was glad to get out of this hell hole, he would kind of miss the uniformity of it. Everyone was the same, dressed the same, lived in the same dorms & ate the same food. It was so completely unlike the world he knew---and that was good. It wasn't great, of course Tristan preferred his Porsche to a jeep, was more comfortable in a suit & dress shoes than his army-like uniform and combat boots, Tristan slept more soundly in his silk-sheeted king size bet and he liked eating steak better than over done hotdogs, but this had been his home for the last two years and it would be missed.  
  
i All I know is I'm lost without you I'm not gonna lie How my going to be strong without you I need you by my side If we ever say we'll never be together and we ended with goodbye , don't know what I'd do ...I'm lost without you I keep trying to find my way but all I know is I'm lost without you I keep trying to face the day I'm lost without you  
  
How my ever gonna get rid of these blues Baby I'm so lonely all the time Everywhere I go I get so confused You're the only thing that's on my mind  
  
Oh my beds so cold at night and I miss you more each day Only you can make it right no I'm not too proud to say /i  
  
Although silk sheets & steak were nice, Rory was heaven. HE would have done anything, kitchen duty, extra laps, night duty, whatever he could, just to hear her voice. Even if she was mad at him.  
  
Tristan sighed while playing with the ribbon tied around that paper which meant so much---and yet so little.  
  
He wondered what she was doing now.if she was laughing with friends, kissing bagboy (oh god, please no!), drinking coffee, studying or whatever it is that Lorelai Leigh Gilmore does. All he knew for sure, was that Rory had probably forgotten him. Tristan who?  
  
Tristan stomped into his dorm and lightly tossed the diploma onto his bed. He shed his cap & gown and changed into jeans & a sweatshirt. Tristan then packed up all the remnants of his existence and prepared for his journey back to Conneticut, land of . Tristan sat down on the small cot and stared at the wall, it was then that he made his decision: he would go to Stars Hollow to see her, and nothing, not even her being involved with the Beaver or even another guy, could stop him.  
  
i All I know is I'm lost without you I'm not gonna lie How my going to be strong without you I need you by my side If we ever say we'll never be together and we ended with goodbye don't know what I'd do ...I'm lost without you I keep trying to find my way but all I know is I'm lost without you I keep trying to face the day I'm lost without you  
  
If I could only hold you now and make the pain just go away  
  
Can't stop the tears from running down my face Oh  
  
All I know is I'm lost without you I'm not gonna lie How my going to be strong without you I need you by my side If we ever say we'll never be together and we ended with goodbye don't know what I'd do ...I'm lost without you I keep trying to find my way but all I know is I'm lost without you I keep trying to face the day I'm lost without /i  
  
Cuz Tristan knew.if he didn't try to find her.and find where they stood.he would forever be Lost  
  
An: the song is by Delta Goodrem, its Australian, thanks Loz for giving it to Joan! 


	2. Gone

This chapter written by Lauren  
  
Disclaimer: We don't own GG, we r just bored teenagers who happen to be totally & completely obsessed with Chad & Milo  
  
*June 3, 2003*  
  
Ah, the sweet smell of freedom. Rory breathed the fresh air as she opened the door to Luke's.  
  
After having graduated from Chilton the day before. Rory graduated as valedictorian, and when she got back to Stars Hollow, she had found that her mother was throwing as surprise party for her in the town square. The party had gone on late into the night, and all the usual Stars Hollow townspeople happily attended.  
  
However, she and Jess had managed to escape into the apartment over the diner for a little while. Rory smiled as she thought of him.  
  
As if by telepathy, Jess came bounding down the stairs into the area behind the counter. Rory sat at a stool.  
  
"Rory," he said uncomfortably.  
  
"Jess," she said.  
  
He was silent for a moment. Then he said, "Come with me for a little while."  
  
They went to the bridge. Rory smiled as she thought about the memories here. The picnic, after the dance marathon, their six-month anniversary. Yes, the bridge was their special place.  
  
Jess sat and faced her. "Rory," he began. "I don't know how to tell you this . . . but . . . you know the graduation ceremony in a few days at Stars Hollow High?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm going," Rory reminded him.  
  
"Send me a postcard," he told her.  
  
Rory got a sinking feeling in her stomach.  
  
"Because I'm not graduating."  
  
She was stunned. "What?" she asked. "But . . . you're going to school, you're passing . . ."  
  
"Well, that's just it," Jess said. "I'm not."  
  
"Going or passing?"  
  
"Both."  
  
They sat for a moment. Rory was shocked, and Jess was ashamed. Neither wanted to be in close proximity to the other at the moment.  
  
He spoke first. "Rory, if I don't graduate, Luke won't let me live with him."  
  
She looked up sharply.  
  
"I'm moving to California to live with my dad."  
  
Rory gripped the edge of the bridge.  
  
"Where?"  
  
"California," he articulated slowly.  
  
"No, where in California?" she snapped. It wasn't like it mattered where in California; no matter where in California he lived, he was still across the world from her.  
  
"Venice Beach," Jess answered. "I'm leaving tonight. Luke called my dad up and told him, and I got a ticket waiting for me at the gate."  
  
"Oh," she said.  
  
They were silent again.  
  
"I guess this means we're breaking up," Rory said, talking first this time.  
  
Jess sighed. "Ror . . . there's no way it could work."  
  
"Yeah, I know," she said, a lone tear running down her cheek. She quickly wiped it away.  
  
"I love you," he told her.  
  
She looked up at him. "Don't make this more painful than it already is."  
  
"Sorry," he said. Then he added, "I hope we can stay friends."  
  
Rory answered, "Always." Then she hugged him, stood up, and left the bridge.  
  
The next day, Rory walked into Luke's with Lorelai in tow. They sat at a table near the window.  
  
Luke came over to take their order. It was the first time in months that Jess didn't take their order.  
  
"Luke, extra coffee today," Lorelai told him. "And don't even try to argue me on this one, it would end up like Hannity and Colmes. "I'll also take a wallowing meal for Rory and a worried mother one for myself."  
  
"Coming right up," Luke told them. He avoided Rory's face, knowing sadly that he had kicked Jess out and this was the cause of her ordering the wallowing meal.  
  
"Even the coffee?" Lorelai asked, surprised. "You know, it's really bad for you. It rots your teeth and stunts your growth and --"  
  
"You would think you would take advantage of the opportunity," Luke pointed out. He left the fix the food.  
  
After he was out of earshot, Rory said to him, "I'm hardly wallowing."  
  
"Believe me babe, you're wallowing," Lorelai said. "And the worried mother meal is justified as well -- you have all the symptoms of a world-class wallower, dead eyes, unshaved legs, clashing shorts and shirt . . ."  
  
Rory tuned Lorelai out. She glanced around the diner, seeing only Luke, Caesar, and the regular morning crowd.  
  
Jess was really gone. 


	3. Don't Cry

Authors Note: This Chapter is written by Joan (bibleboymary4ever)  
  
Disclaimer: I only own my Juicy jeans, puma sneakers, paul frank tee & lots of other clothes.but nothing related to Gilmore Girls  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Tristans POV~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
As Tristan stepped out of the plane, he was greeted by his long time driver/manny/friend, a polite gay guy named George. "Tristan! Its so great you're home!" George said very enthusiastically. Inside, Tristan was screaming, but he still managed to smile and give George a hug.  
  
Once inside the black Escalade, George attempted to make conversation, but Tristan just stared out the window and thought. He thought about what he should do tonight, whether he should call up his old friends, there was probably some party or club they were going to. They would be glad to have him back & except the same Tristan would get drunk off his ass and sleep with anyone who breathed.  
  
But Tristan wasn't like that anymore, and there was only one thing he really wanted to do. Tristan wanted to see Rory. He wanted to talk to her, to stare into her bright blue eyes and caress her pale skin. So Tristan decided what he would do. He would go see her in Stars Hollow, so what if she still had a boyfriend? It had never been a problem for him with other girls.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Rory POV*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Rory slept late and found a post-it note from Mom on my forehead. It read: Hey Rory! Time to wallow, there's plenty of Ben & Jerry's in the fridge, Phish Food, New York Super Fudge Chunk, Chunky Monkey, Chocolate & Vanilla. Luke dropped by lots of boxes for you, that Jess left for you. Lucky Girl! Instead of 1 Jess box, you're getting like 5 of them!!! Anyway, its off to work I go! Get some coffee at Lukes, I'll be at the inn all day. XOXOXO Mom  
  
Erghhhhh. There was no way she wanted to go to Luke's without seeing Jess there. It would be too painful, there were too many memories and kisses shared there.  
  
Instead, Rory walked into the kitchen and grabbed the container of Phish Food and a spoon. After taking it to the porch swing, she opened up a box to look inside.  
  
Rory discovered a note "look in box labeled X for my letter." After making a mental note to do that later, she looked further inside. Jess had left her all his books. She saw Charles Dickens, Ernest Hemingway, and even a copy of one of Rory's Plath books he had forgotten to give back.  
  
Tears ran down Rorys face as she saw the word Dodger circled in one book, a note to her about a dialogue in another, more and more remnants of him were revealed as she opened the other boxes and discovered more books.  
  
Finally, Rory got to the box marked "X", she discovered the elusive letter and stuck it into her pajama pant pocket for later. This box did not contain books, there was Jess' favorite Metallica T-Shirt, a bunch of his cd's, and another letter marked, "To be read on first day at Yale." The tears continued to flow and Rory opened up the ice cream.  
  
Rory ignored the signs of a car driving up, she figured it was probably one of the many townspeople checking to see if she was okay. After someone walked up the steps and cleared their throat, Rory figured it was Dean. "Go back to your fiancée Dean," she muttered.  
  
"Wow, Deans engaged?" asked a puzzled Tristan, "Is that why you're so upset?"  
  
Rory looked up, everyone in Stars Hollow knew that Dean was engaged and knew why she was upset, who could this be?  
  
"Oh my god! Tristan?!?!" She shrieked after seeing his blonde hair, blue eyes and strongly built body.  
  
"Hey Mary" he said affectionately.  
  
"What no mean joke, no rude snide?"  
  
"What's wrong with you Rory? Why are you crying and eating ice cream in your pajamas at 1 in the afternoon?"  
  
"It's called wallowing" she informed him.  
  
"What do you have to wallow about? Did that damn stockboy hurt you? Cuz if he did."  
  
"Tristan, why are you here? I thought you were in North Carolina!"  
  
"One word Rory: Graduation"  
  
"oh yeah! But why did you come to see me?"  
  
Tristan felt like he was going to burst, but he knew it was too soon to tell her of his true feelings, "Well I don't want to go back to my old crowd, and anyways Ror, I have always thought of you as a friend. Don't you feel the same? Wait---you are the one with the dreams about me! Of course you missed me! 'Oh Tristan! Please come back! I need you, I want you oh baby oh baby!' "  
  
"Oh shut up Tris!"  
  
"Only if you tell me why you're so upset."  
  
"Erghh! Fine! You remember Dean, right?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"okay well a few months after you left Luke's nephew Jess moved here from New York City" A lump caught in Rorys throat.  
  
"I was still dating Dean, but I got to be better & better friends with Jess. One night, I was helping Jess study and we were going to take my car out. It was the car Dean made me. I let Jess drive and we crashed. I broke my wrist. Luke sent Jess back to New York."  
  
Trsitan could tell this was hard for her.  
  
"On the day of my Mom's graduation, I went to see him, Chilton uniform and all. I don't know why, I just had this sudden urge to talk to him and to see his face"  
  
Tristan could understand, that's how he felt about Rory today.  
  
" He came back on the day of Sookie, my mom's best friend's, wedding. I was still with Dean, but I kissed Jess."  
  
Tristan sighed deeply, remembering his kiss with Rory.  
  
"I spent the summer in Washington with Paris. When I got back, Jess was with some blonde slut, no let me rephrase that, he was like on top of her, full out making out. Dean was happy to see me but I wasn't happy to see him. I stayed with Dean for a little bit though, and he dumped me in the fall because he could tell I liked Jess. I talked to Jess afterwards and told him. So then he dumped Shane and we were together."  
  
Tristan nodded, "so he was your boyfriend?"  
  
"Yup, but noooooooow, now he's gone and Dean is engaged to some prick." Rory started to sob uncontrollably.  
  
Tristan was curious the circumstances of him leaving, but just pulled Rory closer and hugged her, "Shhh, it will be okay, Jess was stupid to leave you and so was Dean, don't cry"  
  
They just sat there like that together, and that's how Lorelai found them when she arrived home. 


	4. Friends

"Rory, who --" Lorelai stopped at the first porch step. "Tristan."

"Hello, ma'am," Tristan said. It couldn't hurt to suck up to Rory's mom.

"Why are you here?" Lorelai asked.

"I graduated," he said. "I came back to Connecticut because I'm going to 

Yale in the fall."

"Yale," Lorelai said, her eyes narrowing. "That's where Rory's going."

"What?" he asked, confused. "What happened to Harvard?"  


"I got in," Rory told him. "But I decided to go to Yale. It's a family school,

plus it's closer to Mom."

"Imagine that," Tristan said.

Oh, yes, imagine that! Rory would be at school with him in the fall. This was

better than he had hoped for.

"What are you doing here in Stars Hollow?" Lorelai inquired.

"I came to see Rory," he told her simply. "I graduated and realized I wanted to 

see an old friend."

"Oh," Lorelai said. "All right. I'm going inside now."

After Lorelai left, Tristan and Rory were silent. Then Tristan asked, "You wanna

go to a bookstore or something?"

Rory's eyes lit up. "That'd be great. Let me tell my mom and get my shoes."

Tristan sat on the porch and waited for her. A bookstore. He knew she loved reading, and how better to get reacquainted with her than to take her to a reader's 

paradise? He knew this great bookstore in Hartford -- he was certain Rory would love it.

Rory loved the bookstore Tristan had taken her to. It had a lot of rare books, as well as the more famous classics. She stopped at a section entitled "The Beat Generation."

"Tristan, this is great!" she exclaimed. "Look -- two whole shelves of Kerouac!" Rory picked up _On the Road_.

"That's a great book," Tristan remarked.

"You've read it?" Rory asked, surprised.

He grinned sheepishly. "I read it so I could say I've read Kerouac."

Rory laughed. "And what did you think of it?"

"I just said it was good."

"More than that," Rory urged. "What were you thinking when you read it?"

"I guess I though it was cool, how these people could just roam around with no 

direction, a rootless existence. No one telling them what to do, just following their instincts and their hearts."

Rory smiled. "Yeah." She set the book down. "It's too bad people can't really do that."

Tristan asked, "Why not? 'On the Road' was autobiographical, was it not?"

"Well, yes," she admitted. "But those people were different. They had no dreams, no ambitions."

"They wanted to see the world."

"But there was no structure to it," Rory argued.

"You can't structure or plan your hopes, Rory," Tristan pointed out. "They just 

. . . happen. You can't make a list."

Rory thought for a moment. "I guess you're right."

"I know I am," Tristan teased her.

"Still self-absorbed and conceited," Rory said. Truth be told, she found it comforting.

"It hasn't been that long, Mary. A year and a half."

Rory looked at him. "Huh. Mary." Something else oddly comforting and familiar.

Tristan realized something. "I mean, uh -- you're still Mary, right?" He hoped to the heavens that he didn't offend or upset her.

Rory's eyes widened. Then she relaxed. "Yeah. I'm still Mary."

Tristan exhaled, not even knowing he was holding his breath. "Good."

Rory smiled slightly. "Does it really mean that much to you?"

Now it was his turn to look shocked. "No -- I mean, I was just --" He stopped. He noticed Rory looking very upset, staring at a small book. "What is it?"

"'Howl'," she said.

Tristan looked around. "Uh, Rory, I don't think this is the place --"

"Not the dog noise," she interrupted. "The poem."

"What about it?"  


"It just . . . has some special memories attached to it, that's all," Rory muttered.

Tristan got the distinct message that the "memories" had something to do with her ex-boyfriend, Jess.

Rory snapped out of her reverie. "Sorry," she apologized. Then she started walking in the other direction. "Let's check out the Russian literature section."

Tristan stared after her for a moment. He had an epiphany. He couldn't make a move on her -- not while she was so vulnerable and freshly broken-up. He would just risk upsetting her greatly and ruining what was emerging, in just a few hours, as a friendship with potential.

For now, he would have to be her friend. A confidant. If it meant he would be able to be in contact with Rory, Tristan would take what he could get.

He went over to Russian literature and joined her.


	5. Presents

Authors Note: Joan wrote this chapter and originally it was going to be a lot longer and uploaded a lot sooner but it will be updated really, really soon I promise! Lauren wrote the last chapter, read her other story, The Intern and her Babysitter by LitJJAiken! Oh & the jewelry is all real Tiffany jewelry I don't own Tiffany! Or Yale! Disclaimer in other chappies!  
  
*That Friday Night*  
  
Rory & Lorelai stood at the front door to the elder Gilmore household. Lorelai was having a lot of fun continuously ringing the doorbell, as the maid was not answering. They could hear Emily shouting.  
  
Finally Emily appeared at the door. She was glowing and quickly brought the Lorelai's into the living room.  
  
"Come now, sit down," Richard said warmly, "We have some very important things to discuss about Yale" Lorelai and Rory gave each other a quick quizzical glance, 'What could they possibly want?'  
  
"But first," Emily said, "We have some things I know Lorelai adores as much as apple tarts" She revealed two large signatures blue Tiffany bags.  
  
"Presents!!!" Lorelai squealed.  
  
Emily handed the bags to Rory & Lorelai. Lorelai opened hers first, it was a simple diamond pendent. She warmly thanked her parents and watched as Rory opened hers. It was a heart bracelet of all little silver hearts and one gold heart linked together.  
  
Rory smiled and started thank them, but Richard stopped her, "Rory, there are lots of people in this world, some bad and some well, golden. As long as we are paying for Yale we have the right to make decisions." Rory looked confused and Lorelai looked outraged. He patted Lorelai's knee and continued, " Instead of rooming in a dorm with a stranger who could very well be less than golden, Emily and I have taken the liberty of buying you a 2 bedroom apartment in New Haven. It is in right on campus and there is an extra bedroom so you can still have the benefit of a roommate."  
  
Needless to say, Lorelai and Rory were still dumbfounded. Rory spoke first, "but who will my roommate be?"  
  
Emily answered, "Richard and I agreed you could choose one of your friends to room with you. Paris perhaps?"  
  
Rory answered with a sad, "Paris changed her mind and decided to go to UCLA, she wanted to get away from the Ivies."  
  
Richard nodded sadly; Paris Geller had been quite the country club scandal. "Well do you have any other friends attending Yale?"  
  
Rory's face immediately brightened, "Tristan DuGrey!?!? You know his grandfather Janlan?"  
  
Lorelai and Emily stole a glance. They signaled to talk in the kitchen. Lorelai said ,"You are going to let her room with this guy you hardly know who just got back from military school? I am positive he was sent there for good reason!"  
  
Emily replied as calm as she could while talking to her daughter, "I have complete trust in Rory."  
  
Lorelai snapped, "Oh I trust my daughter one hundred percent, I just don't trust her around boys! I swear, sometimes her hormones are as bad as mine and Chris' were!"  
  
Emily smirked, "She is your daughter."  
  
Lorelai was absolutely peeved. "Oh don't feed me any of this, 'She's your daughter crap' Rory, is going to succeed! She is going to do whatever it is she wants to do! She is going to make truckloads of moolah, travel around the world. Rory is going to date plenty of hot men and breed beautiful babies! And I do not, under any circumstances want these things reversed!"  
  
Emily sharply inhaled and exhaled. "Lorelai, I am prepared to allow Rory to make her own decisions just as I allowed you to when you were sixteen. You were the one who decided to sleep with Christopher and then refuse to marry him. You were the one to ran away to Stars Hollow and shut me out of your life and it still pains me deeply that I missed those years of yours and of Rory's lives. Please let me remind you that Rory is ineligible for financial aid and that it was she named Tristan. I didn't even realize Tristan DuGrey was attending Yale! Now, you are Rory's mother and you have done a damn good job of raising her her so if you do not want her rooming with Tristan then I respect your decision and we can go out there right now and tell Rory no."  
  
Emily was very emotional at this point; bad and good memories were flowing through her. Visions of what could be have been and what had been were playing through her mind as she spoke those words. Tears were streaming down her cheeks as she waited for a reply.  
  
Lorelai was shocked; her mother had obviously hit a nerve. She reached over and hugged her tightly as a single tear reached down her cheek.  
  
"I will talk to Rory and get back to you tomorrow, but I will let her room with the bible boy."  
Emily returned to the living room.  
  
Lorelai walked up to her old bedroom and thrust open the doors to the balcony. Sitting down Indian style, she opened her purse and took out her cell phone, dialing those oh-so familiar numbers.  
  
Lorelai/Chris Intercut  
  
Screaming Gigi in background  
  
Chris: Hello?  
  
Lorelai: Chrissy-Poo?  
  
C: Lor? Hey! What's Up?  
  
L: The ceiling, you idiot! Listen, I need to tell you something  
  
C: Is it worth an Uh-Oh?  
  
L: Definitely!  
  
C: Uh-Oh! Are you Okay? Is Rory Okay?  
  
L, sniffling: It's not me, it's Rory!  
  
C: Oh my God! Did she do something stupid? Is she pregnant? What hospital are you at?  
  
L: No, she's not hurt or pregnant!  
  
C: Okay, let me sit down. What did she do? Did she decide not to go to Yale?!? Because I'm sure my parents could pull some strings at Princeton.  
  
L blurts out: Its my parents, Chris! They bought her an apartment!  
  
C: Oh wow! That's great! She won't have to have a weird roommate!  
  
L: No! No, its not great! It's a two bedroom and they are letting her choose a roommate!  
  
C: Soooooo  
  
L: She chose Tristan!!!  
  
C: Who the hell is that?  
  
L: Tristan called her Mary when she came to Chilton, terrorized her, kissed her at a party, bought her tickets to a concert and then was turned down when Dean showed up saying he loved Rory, she set him up with Paris,, he had a horrible time Paris was crushed and ticked at Rory and then Tristan got sent to Military school the night he is supposed to be Romeo to Rory's Juliet in a scene at Chilton.  
  
Lorelai said this all in one breath and Chris is dumbfounded.  
  
C: Wow.Sounds like.  
  
L: Rory is clueless?  
  
C: Yea  
  
L, Sighing: I know, and this is the only time I feel like I can't get through to her.  
  
C: Listen, Lor. (He lowers his voice) You have done the best damn job possible of raising Rory over the years and it wouldn't have been possible if we had gotten married or stayed together. I know you will get through to her because you two are closer than burger and fries. You two will always be in my heart, Lorelai. Now go talk to her, All right?  
  
L: Mmkay  
  
C: Bye  
  
L: Bye  
PLEASE REVIEW!!!! 


	6. Rules

A/N: Extra Special thanks to our friends at the ORG: Loz. Helen, Katherine, Lauren and especially Summer! You're all goddesses! Thanks for all your help! Thanks sooooo much for your idea about Tristan's emotions in this chapter Summer!  
  
This chappie by Joan  
  
Disclaimer: If we owned anything why would I write this?  
  
Tristan could not believe what Rory had just told him. Roommates? 6 months ago, he would have jumped at the chance. And now, she was the excited one  
  
He smirked at her, "Mary, Mary, you know there are easier ways to see me in a towel!"  
  
She rolled her eyes, "Oh no! Tristan! I want to hear you when you wake up screaming my name in the middle of the night! That way, we can get our action! Ya know, maybe we shouldn't even bother with two beds."  
  
Tristan was scared, okay? For the first time in his life he cared about a girl, deeply and for the first time, he was the only one with the feelings, not the other way around as it always had been.  
  
Her voice awakened him from his conflicting thoughts.  
  
"Well obviously there will be rules! Here, I made a list. One copy for me, one copy for you and one copy to hang somewhere. Probably in the kitchen. Okay here goes Number 1: No sex in the apartment without warning"  
  
Tristan raised an eyebrow. The Mary he knew would not have said that, it could be a lot of fun to live with Rory. But he was sure she still had those freaky study habits.  
  
She continued, "Number two: You must learn to make decent coffee or find me a place comparable to Luke's."  
  
Roommates fight about that kind of stuff he thought, they fight about food, cleaning, money and probably, in Rory's case, coffee.  
  
"Number three: Take out menus always accessible"  
  
He sighed, well Emily Gilmore was a sensible woman.Rory having a roommate she was familiar with at Yale made sense, but him? Their friendship was new and still oh-so fragile, the slightest blow, he feared, could knock it. And. Living with her, would make it harder and harder to contain his impulses to touch her silky hair, to caress her soft cheeks and to kiss her light lips.  
  
"Number four: Be nice to Lorelai, she's ticked at you about the roommate thing."  
  
Tristan sighed, " I'm ticked at me about the roommate thing!" he wanted to jump up and yell out at her, but he continued to stir his coffee.  
  
"Number five: All problems must be calmly talked out."  
  
"Well then, that's it." Tristan said.  
  
Rory was alarmed, "what?"  
  
"We have a problem we need to calmly talk out. I don't want to be your roommate." 


	7. Still Looking?

A/N: Thank you so much to all of the reviewers. Thanks to Summer, Loz, Lauren, Katherine, and Helen.  
  
Disclaimer: Chad Michael Murray is off the show. Milo Ventimiglia is soon to be off the show. There's your evidence that we don't own it.  
  
Tristan stepped out of his car in front of his house. He handed his keys to the chauffeur, who drove off. He opened the door and stepped inside.  
  
Since that afternoon, Tristan had been feeling a little bit guilty. Rory had truly wanted him to move in with her -- this was the opportunity he had been waiting for since he first saw her. But he wasn't able to accept the offer -- why?  
  
For once, Tristan realized he was being the nice guy. He knew he couldn't live with Rory without a certain amount of -- ahem -- sexual desire coming out. And he knew that wasn't what she needed at the moment. She needed a friend, and he wasn't entirely positive he could be that right now, despite what he had told himself earlier.  
  
He strolled through the open foyer; his father, William DuGrey, was sitting in the room off to the side. Tristan decided to attempt a civilized conversation with him.  
  
"Hey Dad," Tristan said.  
  
"Hello Tristan," William muttered absently as he turned the page in the paper. "What are you up to?"  
  
"Oh, just hanging out with a friend," Tristan lied. More like screwing over any chances of a friend.  
  
"Lovely," William said. Tristan hated the affected nature of his voice and speech mannerisms. "So, do you have any plans for the summer?"  
  
"No," Tristan answered warily. It wasn't like his father to actually take an interest in his life.  
  
"Good," William remarked. "Then you could come do an internship for me in the office."  
  
Tristan's internal "get-away-from-Dad" radar went off in a big way. "I don't think that's a great idea," he said.  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"Because I don't want to work for you. And nothing you say or do is going to change my mind about that."  
  
"Tristan, you don't even know what my job is like," William told him. "You could end up loving it."  
  
Tristan chortled. "Yeah, if taking that job means ending up in your lifestyle, thanks but no thanks." He froze.  
  
Tristan had always read about those moments where you were thinking something, and you didn't realize it had come out of your mouth. He had never actually had one, until now. He truly had not meant for that to be said.  
  
William looked at him. "Oh. You want to do this the hard way. Well, then. Tristan, if you don't come work for me, I have no choice but to deny you the opportunity to stay here during the summer."  
  
Tristan stared at his father. "You've got to be kidding."  
  
"I don't kid," William pointed out. And Tristan knew that was true.  
  
He stood up. "Well then. Thanks for having me for a couple of days. Hope we see each other again soon."  
  
"Tristan, wait --" William called, but Tristan was already slamming the front door shut.  
  
He marched out to his car, further away where the chauffeur had put it. He pulled his keys from his pocket and started the car.  
  
Tristan felt around the seat beside him and the area between it and his seat. God Damnit -- why was he so disorganized? Rory had given him her phone number earlier -- where had he dropped the sheet of paper?  
  
As he was beginning to give up and preparing to just drive out to her house, his hand closed around a piece of Hello Kitty stationary. Score.  
  
Tristan pulled away from the estate as he dialed his cell phone number. Eh, his cell phone. He might have to give that up -- his father paid the bills for it.  
  
The Gilmores' phone rang twice before Lorelai picked up. "Hello?"  
  
"Lorelai, it's Tristan."  
  
"Oh, hello," Lorelai said, with slightly less buoyancy than she had answered the phone with. She obviously still didn't trust him.  
  
"Is Rory around?" he asked. "I need to talk to her."  
  
"Um, she's sitting right here," Lorelai answered. "Here she is." Tristan heard some whispers, a distinct "Give me the phone!" and then Rory came on the line.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Rory," Tristan said. "Tris here. I have a slight problem."  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"My father just kicked me out of the house," he informed her.  
  
He heard her draw a sharp breath. "Why?"  
  
"I'm a disappointment," he answered. "I don't want to join the family business. So that means I'm not his son. Blood means nothing without business ties."  
  
Rory chuckled a little bit. "You're my dad sixteen years later."  
  
He smiled. "Well, anyway . . . as you probably deducted, since you're a smart girl, I now have nowhere to live."  
  
She paused for a moment. "Does that mean . . ."  
  
"Still looking for a roommate?" 


	8. Beds and Baywatch

A/N: Thanks so much to all the readers and reviewers. Thanks to Summer, Loz, Helen, Katherine and Lauren, and if we left anyone out . . . thanks to you too. Doesn't mean you're less important, just means I (Lauren) am suffering from severe academic burnout and my brain isn't functioning. Joan says: Is it ever? Just kidding.  
  
Disclaimer: In the vein of our other disclaimers -- if we owned the show, this week's episode never would have happened.  
  
  
  
"Flowers or polka dots?" Rory held up the sample curtain fabrics to Tristan's chagrin.  
  
"Neither," he answered, snatching them from her and setting them down. "Solid color."  
  
Rory pouted. "You're no fun."  
  
"If fun means turning out apartment into a hippie haven, then I'm a snoozefest," Tristan answered. "We're not having floral curtains, a floral couch, a floral wallpaper, or -- try as you might -- floral carpet."  
  
Rory rolled her eyes. "Let's go look at couches." She grabbed his hand and dragged him in the direction of the couches.  
  
"Well," he said, stopping her. "There's another piece of furniture we need to look at." He turned her in another direction.  
  
"What?" Rory asked curiously.  
  
Tristan stopped in front of a section filled with beds.  
  
Rory's eyes widened, as she turned to smacked him playfully. "Tristan!"  
  
"What?" he asked, feigning innocence. "I need a bed! What am I supposed to do, go reclaim the one in my old room from my dad?"  
  
"Or, you know, just shop for one by yourself," Rory said.  
  
He fell onto a nearby bed. "But shopping alone is so boring."  
  
Rory sat next to him. "And what you're insinuating is lewd."  
  
"I insinuated nothing," he said indignantly, holding his hands up. "A bed is a necessary piece of furniture."  
  
For the fourth time that day, Rory consciously rolled her eyes. "Come on. Couches are this way."  
  
Tristan stood and followed her.  
  
"But really," Rory went on. "We should establish some ground rules if we're going to be living together."  
  
"I'm harmless, Rory," Tristan said with his own roll of the eyes.  
  
"Sure you are," Rory said dismissively. "You're so harmless you'd kiss a girl who'd just broken up with her boyfriend and was clearly vulnerable."  
  
"That was the old Tristan," he told her honestly. If he were still that same guy, he'd most definitely be kissing Rory by now.  
  
Stop it , he told himself. You're just torturing yourself.  
  
"Well, anyway," she continued. "We'll have two bathrooms, and we'll make use of them."  
  
"Fine by me," he said. "I need my space too. Women underestimate the time men need to look as great as they do."  
  
"I'm sure you spend an hour every morning getting your hair to stick up just right," Rory said with a giggle, touching the tips of his hair.  
  
He felt a small tingle. Heel, Tristan.  
  
"And in addition to that, we have to establish some sort of system for groceries."  
  
"I'll buy them, you'll cook them," he answered without a thought.  
  
"I'll be happy to," Rory said sweetly. "But when they have to rush you to the emergency room for severe food poisoning, I'm completely unresponsible."  
  
"Okay, we'll buy TV dinners," Tristan said.  
  
"That's better."  
  
"And the TV to eat those dinners in front of . . ." Tristan looked at her. He, of course, couldn't buy anything, since he had recently subjected himself to the probable loss of his trust fund.  
  
"It's going to be there," she assured him. "I have a feeling if we don't buy one my mom will."  
  
"Good," he said. " Baywatch reruns are on twice daily."  
  
"You never cease to amaze," Rory said. "Come on, couches are obviously a dead end." She waved her finger in the direction of the furniture. "Let's really go look at curtains now." She again grabbed his hand and began dragging him along.  
  
He complied willingly. You never cease to amaze either. 


	9. Unexpected

"Roooooory!?!?" Lorelai's voice wafted through the apartment.   
  
"Hey, Mom!" Rory and her mom hugged tightly. 

"Look! I brought you a housewarming gift!"

"A what?"

"Mom told me to…open it!"

"Oh! The monkey lamp?"

"Of course! Every house and apartment should have one," Lorelai said excitedly.

"Somehow, I don't think this is what Emily wanted you to get us. But I think it's much better than what she would have picked out."

Later…..

Tristan looked over at them. They were unpacking boxes happily. What was so great about boxes? Monkey lamps, giant coffee cups, pajamas with cupcakes…Rory had them all. They were giggling, but he couldn't tell why. He looked around his sparse bedroom and wished he had bought more stuff. He walked over to his desk and quickly grabbed his coat and keys. 

"Hey Ror?"

"Yeah?"

"Uh, I'm going out for a bit. Call my cell if you need me."

"Okay. Bye."

He slammed the door shut and walked outside. Tristan didn't know where he wanted to go. He just wanted to get out of there, all of her candy colored shit and souvenirs from her trip to Europe were making him nauseous. 

But where was he supposed to go? He walked down the street, passing Urban Outfitters, the COOP and Cutler's Records. What was it that Lorelai brought? A house warming gift? He could get Rory a gift….

  
But what the hell would she want from him? That girl had everything she could ever want. And if she ever did want anything, all she had to do was snap her fingers and a team of 50-some odd people would come running to her side. Tristan sighed. Rory Gilmore was so different then all the girls he had known before. They would be happy with an empty box.   


On the other hand, all those girls were total airheads. Their heads were empty boxes.   


Tristan casually walked into the COOP and picked up a navy coffee cup emblazoned with the Yale logo in gold. "Hmmph," he thought, "She might like this."   
  
"Excuse me?" Tristan motioned towards a salesperson. His years of etiquette classes on Saturday mornings and dances at Miss Barkley's had paid off. His manners were impeccable. "I need a present for a …uh…a friend of mine. She has everything and I'm a little overwhelmed right now. Could you help me to select a gift?"   
  
The saleslady, a lithe dance major, was the kind of girl Tristan might have flirted with in the past. As his eyes trailed up and down her long muscular limbs, he remembered why. Tristan quickly shook the thought as she replied.   


"Well what kind of friend? Are you close, is it a girlfriend, a friend, a friend's girlfriend? Information such as this is vital in choosing the appropriate gift." Her eyes twinkled with mischief as she spoke.   


He rolled his eyes. Tristan himself had no idea who Rory was to him, withstanding what he should tell some ditzy salesperson.   


"Rory is my…."   
  
"Oh, so now your mystery woman has a name?"   
  
"Yes, Rory."   


"What's your name?"   


"Tristan DuGrey. And you?"   
  
"Jenni. Jennifer Nelson. Anyways, what were you saying about Rory?"   
  
"Rory is my…roommate."   
  
"Oh…bad ex-girlfriend memories there?"   
  
Tristan scratched his head. "More like the fact that she was never my girlfriend."   
  
"Oh." Jenni said quietly.   


Tristan brightened, "Well, how about that present?"   
  


~*~*~*~*~*~   
  
"Wow, Rory!" Lorelai squealed, "I never knew you had so much underwear!"   
  
Rory rolled her eyes and thought, 'Maybe it's time to get out of here.'  
  
"Mom, why don't we go for a coffee break?"   
  
"Ah, the elixir of life! But of course!"   
  
They left the apartment and were greeted by a surprise when they arrived at the local Starbucks.   


"Tristan!?" all but shrieked a shocked Rory.   


"Hey Ror!"   
  
"So this is the infamous Rory Gilmore," smirked Jenni.   


Crossing her arms across her chest, Rory glared at her bibleboy.   


"Who are you?" She said to Jenni.   


Standing up with a smile, Jenni shook Rory's hand. "Jennifer Nelson. Call me Jenni."   
  
"Uh hi?" Lorelai waved. "I'm going to get some coffee."   
  
As Rory assuredly pushed aside Jenni to sit next to Tristan, he thought, "This is going to get interesting." 


End file.
